Defence Procurement in Singapore

Copyright Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights or concerns about this content should be directed to Customer Service.

[The following is a reprint of Chinniah Manohara speech presented to the Third International Acquisition/Procurement Seminar-Pacific in Singapore, September 18, 2000. This conference was co-hosted by the U.S. Defense Systems Management College and Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency.]

Introduction

For the benefit of those who are new to Singapore, let me first introduce you to Singapore. Singapore is a small country in South East Asia, comprising about forty-nine islands and we have a land area of about 650 square km (and growing) and four million people according to a recent census report. We lack natural resources, but despite our size and resource constraints, Singapore has enjoyed government domestic product (GDP) growth rates of about 8 percent to 10 percent per annum over the past years until the regional economic downturn a few years ago. However, economic recovery is in sight and Singapore is expected to register an economic growth of about 7 1/2 percent to 8 1/2 percent this year. For the long-term, we hope to maintain a sustainable GDP growth of about 6 percent.

We operate an open economy plugged into the global market system. In line with our open policy, Singapore is also a member of the 1994 World Trade Organization (WTO) plurilateral agreement on government. We provide an environment favourable to foreign investors. We have a well-educated and trained workforce, complemented by well-developed information technology, communications and transportation infrastructure, to support business. Singapore is ranked amongst the most competitive economies in the world. Such economic progress is possible because of peace and stability, which are underpinned by a firm national security foundation. And the cornerstone of our security is a strong Singapore armed forces (SAF). Our government is therefore committed to invest up to 6 percent of our GDP in defence, and I might add that this commitment did not weaken during the economic downturn.

Given our limited resources and space constraints, the use of technology is therefore critical in giving the Singapore armed forces a qualitative edge. We acquire weapon systems that give us the same or more firepower but require fewer men (to operate the systems). To overcome the constraint of limited training resources, simulators are used extensively for training our troops, in addition to training overseas. We automate and computerise as many processes as possible to enhance efficiency and to reduce the manpower required to undertake the processes. In short, we use technology as a force multiplier.

We have adopted an approach called integrated defence development. Integrated defence development recognises that there are synergies among parts that when integrated promote better utilisation of resources. It encompasses integration of operations and technology; and integration over people and organisations in ministry of defence, SAF, the local defence industry and the academic and research institutions.

The Technological Edge

How does DSTA provide SAF with the technological edge? This is achieved through a number of different but complementary approaches.

* Customisation. We customise acquired equipment and systems and develop our own strategic equipment and systems. Customisation is both necessary and critical as off-the-shelf solutions are usually designed for other armed forces and may not fully meet local conditions and requirements. …

To overcome limitations on the size of its armed forces, the Asian city-state of Singapore is exploiting cutting-edge technology by combining home-grown research and international collaboration. While its high-stakes fighter replacement competition has been making headlines in the defense world,…

Two new metro lines are now under construction in Singapore and form a key element in the 2013 land transport master plan to more than double the capacity of the rail network by 2030. David Briginshaw reports from the city state on the rapid progress being made. SINGAPORE has already increased the…

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